Junil woke up to the cooing of doves.
Pigeons. They were pigeons, not doves, and there was one such pigeon tapping on the glass window of the room.
Blinking the drowsiness out of her eyes, the Healer slowly got out of bed to stare at the pigeons that had ruined her sleep. It cocked its head and tapped twice again.
"The fact that you're here means there's something important," Junil muttered. "And I can't just go back to sleep, because you'll wake me up with the tapping again. Darn it."
She hopped out of bed and shuffled over to the window, which she pushed open. The pigeon hopped into the inner window sill perch, and held a leg out for Junil to access the message container around its leg.
Wordlessly, the Healer pulled the note out from it and unrolled the slip of paper to read what was on it.
GO TO NEW FRONTIERLAND LIBRARY. NEW DEVELOPMENT. URGENT.
It was in Ronn's handwriting, which meant that it was a note from him to her.
"...still tired from the seasickness yesterday," the Healer muttered. Regardless, she flipped the slip of paper over and fished a charcoal pencil out from her bag.
COMING. GIVE ME TIME TO PREPARE.
She rolled the slip of paper back up, slipped it within the tube, and shooed the homing pigeon off for it to return to Ronn.
Junil yawned, and began to prepare her items.
Thankfully, Ronn didn't leave anything behind — despite getting a two-bed room, he did not seem to have entered the room again ever since he left last night. Which puzzled Junil; why spend money on a two-bed room when he didn't even plan on sleeping?
What an enigma of a man.
She quickly gathered all of her items, and she even took the time to inventory what she had. Her bag had its medical supplies, from a variety of healing supplements and bandages to leeches. There was a thing or two to snack on, namely, some dried beef that she decided would make her on-the-go breakfast.
As for her equipment, there were her clothes. Enchanted to protect her against falls and scrapes, not much more. It was durable, but not suitable for someone like a combat mage. Thankfully, she was not a combat mage.
Her clothes had plenty of pockets for potions of varying types, along with a hidden sleeve holster for her wand. She wasn't carrying any potions on her at the moment; doing so would be quite cumbersome, especially for a sea trip. Her plan of action had been to purchase some at New Frontierland, but Madame Fraul's current aluminum scheme dashed those plans.
Aside from her wand, Junil also had a two-handed short-staff that she typically wore on her back, held up by a simple sling. She didn't use the short-staff as much as the wand, but Ronn always recommended she carry it just in case.
She was all suited up, and ready to leave. The Healer stepped down the stairs and out of the inn to admire the sights of New Frontierland before she was off to perform her duties alongside the Hero—
"Price of aluminum per bar has risen approximately one small steel coin since yesterday!"
"They say the price is just going to keep going up!"
"Everyone, out of the way!"
The Healer was almost trampled by a crowd that was rushing on the main road. She backed away from the commotion, stopping just short of the stampede of people rushing in one direction with bags of coins in hand.
"...Why are you like this, Fraul?" Junil asked, to nobody in particular but herself.
Aside from that little incident, which she quickly aimed to forget, the Healer took in the sights of the bustling port city of New Frontierland. Unlike the Capital, which was essentially a flat island with a towering spire in the middle, New Frontierland was built around a bay, on the face of a hill that bordered the ocean. This allowed for a very nice view of the city; from the right vantage point, it looked as though the town was sloping into the ocean, where the bustling ports lay.
Yesterday, Junil had been too busy contending with nausea and trying to balance herself to enjoy the view. She took a breath of fresh salty sea air, closing her eyes while doing so.
...Yeah, the novelty of sea air wore off ages ago, since she had been in the Capital for the past few months for bureaucratic reasons. Now it just smelled like dead fish to her.
Regardless, Junil was enjoying the sights as she walked towards the library. It seemed as though the city had expanded quite a fair bit ever since she was last here. There were some new, unfamiliar ports, and streets that once had mere grassland by the sides were now bustling with shops and homes.
Junil's mood was spoiled immediately when she saw a poster on the wall, advertising Fraul's aluminum.
Aluminum. The Healer was starting to get sick of the word already.
She continued walking towards the New Frontierland library. It was a particularly large building that had originally been a barracks early in the war; ever since the town grew, it first became the town hall before finally being refurbished and turned into a library.
Junil stepped up the wooden steps and pushed open the double doors into the building.
"Ronn, are you around here?" she asked, peering around. There were a few people around, but on account of it being morning it was rather empty.
As for the Hero himself, he was sitting at a table. Several books and diagrams were laid around him, along with a notebook that he was jotting down a few notes in with his charcoal pencil.
Junil walked up to him. She wasn't afraid of interrupting his studies; he called her over for a reason.
"What have you found from your all-nighter?" she asked.
Ronn dotted and crossed his last few letters before picking up the hand-sized notebook and flipping it shut.
"There is a lot of information on the Grand Elm region that I've uncovered."
"That sounds good," Junil replied.
"Almost none of it is of relevance, unfortunately."
Junil blinked.
"Then what was the point? Your message said something was urgent."
"Indeed, it is indeed time-sensitive and urgent. Here, let me show you a poster I discovered."
"Oh, please don't tell me it's about Fraul's aluminum—"
Ronn slapped a sheet of paper on the table. It was frayed at the edges, but otherwise completely legible.
Written in big, colorful block letters were the words FASTEST TRAVEL ON THE CONTINENT, superimposed over a picture of a steam engine on wheels. The bottom was captioned Frontierland Rail Company.
"I heard news of this, but I could never have guessed that they would have one ready so swiftly," Ronn stated.
Junil shifted the sheet of paper so that she could read the text on it from her angle. "What is it?"
"A rail engine. A mobile, self-powered steam engine that follows metal rails. There is one that can take us from here to Grand Elm."
"Rail engine? I've heard people talk about them before, but I don't know much about them," Junil replied. "This poster says it opens tomorrow. Gives us time to prepare for the trip."
"We will be departing as soon as possible," Ronn replied. He began to pack up his belongings, to the befuddlement of a very confused Junil.
"Right now. As in, once you're done packing your things. Five minutes from now. Despite the fact that we've prepared no supplies."
"The trip from here to Grand Elm is usually five days on foot. Three days by wagon. A day and a half on a fast steed. As you know, taking several days for a trip requires packing supplies, which lengthens the packing time. If we were to depart now on the rail engine, we would hardly need to pack the required supplies."
"Ronn, hold up. You're really saying that this—" Junil pointed at the advertisement. "—is faster than the fastest horses they have?"
"They advertise speeds as quick as no more than three hours of travel from here to Grand Elm. Those transit times are revolutionary."
Junil nodded. "Okay. I'll take that explanation. But you've still got two other things to explain."
The Healer held up her pointer finger.
"One: the fact that the rail engine opens tomorrow. Not today."
"It does no one harm to ask if they are willing to accommodate us," Ronn replied.
"...I should've known that you'd ask them for an early ride. But what if they don't?"
"We'll wait for opening day."
"Alright, fair enough. The second question: Why are we in such a hurry? It's not like the Demon Lord's sister has begun rallying up Lord Luth's former armies on short notice."
"We do not know that for sure," Ronn said. "But there is a related concern that I have, which makes our trip far more urgent."
"What is it?"
"Once the rail officially opens, the Second Coming will also have access to the rail from their end. That gives her direct access from Grand Elm to New Frontierland, and thus, to the Capital."
Junil mused over what Ronn just said.
"...Three hours from Elm to here. And if she had the money for a fast boat, that's another two or three hours. Not even a full-day trip," Junil said.
Ronn nodded. "Indeed. She will be capable of reaching her brother within a day if we do not act fast. Do you understand my sense of urgency?"
Junil nodded in solemn agreement. "Yeah... I see where you're getting at. But departing might not change much if the rail engine operators refuse to let us ride early."
"This is technically official business of the Hero Party, and I would have full right to commandeer the rail engine. However, I do not know how to operate one, and I do not wish to fall in the bad graces of the company that manages this rail. So, I will not push the matter if they strictly refuse."
"I mean, if it's that concerning..."
"I can have guards which have been given warning posted at the rail station in question, should the issue arise further," Ronn replied. "However, the fewer people know of our mission, the better."
Junil looked up at Ronn, as the two stepped out of the library. "To prevent panic?"
"Precisely."
Junil nodded. A thought came to mind for her.
"Is that why you didn't elaborate to Salkin or Fraul about our plans?"
"I assessed that Salkin would have been too prone to unintentionally divulging the information, due to his habits. As for Fraul, I did not wish to add another burden onto the work she already has."
"You're far too noble."
"I am a Sire, after all. I must live up to my title of being a Hero."
After stacking up the various books and maps he had been glossing over on the table, Ronn gave a wave to the librarians before departing. The Hero's heavy armor clanked as the two walked out of the library.
"Do you know where the rail engine is?" Junil asked. "It mentioned a location on the map, but I'm not familiar with New Frontierland. Especially with all the new buildings and streets."
"I am aware of its location," Ronn replied. "Follow me."
As the two stepped through the busy streets of New Frontierland, they had to push through increasingly large crowds of people who seemed to be in a hurry. Junil caught glimpses of conversation from them, and it seemed they were all talking about the accursed aluminum trade.
"What a racket Fraul has built up," Junil said. "I don't like it."
"She seems to have invited a lot of economic activity to the city, however."
"I'm not saying it's a bad thing, I'm just saying I don't like it. There's something about it all that I really don't like."
Ronn pushed through another crowd of people, and Junil followed in his wake.
"Perhaps you are envious of her success," Ronn suggested.
Junil frowned at that statement; worst of all, it might actually be true. Not the money, but the success part. She hadn't been nearly as successful in her medical breakthroughs as Fraul has been in the magical field.
She held her tongue, though. The Healer knew she had absolutely nothing nice to say about that assertion.
The two finally reached the station. It was a roofed platform beside the road. Several large cut stones made the floor of the platform, and much of it was fenced in by a metal guard rail. A pair of iron tracks ran through it, ending in a buffer on one end of the station and going off into the distance on another.
Waiting within the station was a wheeled machine, pulling behind it numerous carriages that were also placed on the rail. Steam wafted off the idle device, as two people within the cabin of it sat and rested.
Without hesitating for a moment, Ronn stepped up to the ticket booth.
"What is the current going rate for a single trip?" he asked.
The man in the ticket booth jumped up at the unexpected question. "What? Wait, what? The rail isn't open yet, what are you asking for?"
Ronn remained steadfast.
"I am asking for a ticket, and the cost of one."
Silence. The ticket vendor looked between Ronn and Junil, seemingly begging Junil for an explanation.
"If it is a matter of money, I am willing to compensate you three times the going rate for a trip," Ronn continued.
The ticket vendor sputtered. "I-It's not that, it's just... Well, the railway isn't complete yet! It opens tomorrow!"
"That is not something that I mind," Ronn replied.
"The railway doesn't go all the way, though! It's still under construction!"
"I am capable of walking the rest of the way."
"—but it doesn't feel right to have you, the Hero, pay for fare and then walk the rest of the way."
"I will take no issue with the state of the rail in its currently incomplete state, granted that it is safe," Ronn said. "I simply wish to utilize this rail as a swift way to reach my destination."
"Even though you have to walk the rest of the distance?"
"It is preferable for me to walk part of the distance than the entire distance."
"Yeah, but..."
Ronn decided to convince the man in a more authoritative manner.
"The task in question is related to official, time-sensitive business by the Hero Party."
"Oh. Oh! Why didn't you say so? I mean, well, I should've assumed that from the start, so I apologize."
"Apology accepted."
"Fair enough. What was your offer, three times going rate?"
"Yes."
The ticket vendor narrowed his eyes at Ronn.
"...We'd usually send out the train on a full carriage, but since it's just you, the cost of fuel and labor will be on you. Six times going rate."
"Six times it is," Ronn replied. He placed the money on the counter. The ticket vendor glanced down, surprised that his demand actually worked.
"Alright," the ticket vendor said. He initially seemed unsure if the Hero was genuine in his offer. "I'll tell the conductor to let you on. We can justify it as a test run, of sorts."
The ticket vendor latched open the gate to allow Ronn and Junil to step in.
Ronn nodded. "I appreciate that you are willing to accommodate us."
"Well, if it's for the Hero, how could I refuse?" the ticket vendor asked. "But, uh, I want to know. Are you interested in doing any promotional stuff for us?"
Ronn shook his head. "My schedule is far too busy, unfortunately. If you wish, you can state in your future advertisements that the Hero himself held enough interest to ask for an early look at the rail, even before it was completed."
The ticket vendor's eyes lit up at that suggestion.
"Really? Will you sponsor us?"
"No. But I will not stop you from using my request today as future marketing."
Junil and Ronn walked up to the platform. The ticket vendor gestured for them to get inside one of the carriages, which he opened up for them.
"The conductor's inside, and he'll give you the rundown on what you should and shouldn't do when in the train," he said. "Oh, and I apologize for not introducing myself. Name's Erter."
He held out a hand, which the Hero took and shook.
Soon, both Junil and Ronn went inside and found themselves a seat to sit on, near the front. It wasn't long before the train conductor stepped up. His apron was streaked with black coal dust.
"Ah, I've heard that you two were coming aboard!" he exclaimed. "Bit of a privilege to test this out for the first time, isn't it?"
"I greatly appreciate you taking time out of your day to transport us," Ronn replied.
The conductor laughed. "Oh, that's no problem! Really, there's only one thing I have to tell you!"
"What is it?" Junil said.
"Rules of the railroad," the conductor said. "Arms and legs stay inside. If you have to move 'round, do so slowly and carefully since the train can rock back and forth. Otherwise, you can get hurt."
The conductor glanced at Junil.
"Well, you've got the Healer with you. She can probably heal up your scrapes."
"I won't," Junil assured. "Just to make sure you know."
"You don't? Aren't you a healer by trade?"
Junil grunted. "I only heal critical injuries. If someone gets a scrape or a minor cut from being dumb, that's their problem."
The conductor gave a short laugh. "Well, I can't argue with that if it comes from the Healer! Just better hope nothing big happens on the way there!"
He then adjusted his hat and turned around. But, before he could turn around completely, he stopped, then looked back.
"I know your names already, since you two are rather famous 'round these parts," he said. "But sorry for not introducing myself. Name's Clarek, your conductor. Enjoy the trip."
The man then stepped back to the front of the train, where he yelled instructions to the other who was running the main engine of the machine.
Ronn then looked at Junil.
"Is this your first time on a rail engine?" Ronn asked Junil.
"It definitely is."
"It is also my first time on a rail engine, too."
Junil then peered up at the Hero. "Is that meant to be reassuring or...? Because if this is your first time, too, that means you have no idea what can go wrong."
The Hero adjusted in his seat. "I have said nothing of the sort. I am confident in the reliability of this rail engine company."
"Maybe I'm reading between the lines too much," Junil replied.
"You might be, indeed."
Junil huffed, but didn't say anything else.
The rail engine hissed, and the two leaned back in their seats as everything jolted forward. Junil gripped the armrests tight, while Ronn remained calm as always.
It took a few short minutes for the rail engine to accelerate. And when it accelerated, it certainly did.
Out of worry about his Healer companion, Ronn turned to look at Junil. But it seemed that she had gotten over her initial worry, and was wide-eyed at the scenery passing by.
"This is fast!" Junil exclaimed. "I can feel the wind on my face. It's like taking one of those fast boats. But on land, and a lot less vomit-inducing."
"Indeed," Ronn replied.
The rail engine's carriages rumbled on the tracks.
After a few minutes of Junil watching the sights out the window, she turned around to look back at Ronn.
"Now that I think about it," she started. "Wouldn't it be better to grill the Demon Lord's Generals on the location of his sister?"
Ronn glanced at Junil. "Elaborate on what you mean?"
"We can just ask them," Junil replied. "We have the Generals in our custody, right? So it shouldn't be too hard to interrogate them."
Ronn shook his head. "So far, we only know of the whereabouts of one of them. General Riall is currently managing the current Demonfolk territories under our supervision."
"Great," Junil replied. "Then we can ask her. Right?"
The Hero shook his head. "It is not so simple, unfortunately. Of the four Generals, or as we are aware, Riall has a particularly weak disposition."
"Weak dis...? That means she's easy to interrogate, right?"
"And we already have a deal with her," Ronn replied. "She has agreed to give her whole cooperation in assisting our management of the Demonfolk territories, in exchange for gentle treatment. Forcing her to divulge information she does not wish to would be a violation of that."
Junil shook her head. "This seems inefficient. It's not like she can do anything if we don't hold up our end of the agreement. Is there?"
"Even if there is no recompense if we do not, it would be improper otherwise," Ronn replied. "Regardless, General Riall does hold the stability of the entire Demonfolk territories over our head. She is the only reason we are capable of occupying them in the first place."
The Healer sunk in her seat. "Darn. I thought it'd be easy to get information, but the politics behind it make everything so much more complicated."
"It is no loss," Ronn said. "As I never intended to use Riall in the first place."
As the two finished up their conversation, they could feel the rail engine slowing to a gradual stop. Ronn and Junil waited in their seats for a response from the conductor.
"Alright. Rail ends here," the conductor said.
Ronn stood up and began to walk towards one of the departing doors.
"The trip was shorter than I had expected," Ronn said. "How much further do we have to walk?"
"Not far," the conductor replied. "Feels short compared to walking the several-day-long footpath, huh? The end of the rail is all the way that way. And Grand Elm is there, too."
"I give my thanks," Ronn said.
"Don't mention it. Well, actually. Mention us to a lot of people, so they get news in on the fastest, newest way to move. Got that?"
The conductor grinned.
Both Hero and Healer then stepped down off the train. Before them was a buzzing construction site; Demonfolk were dispersed everywhere, hammering nails into railway ties, laying down track, and carting wheelbarrows of gravel to and fro.
They didn't have far to walk, stepping through the grass past the groups of Demonfolk with tools and supplies. Junil stepped aside as one helmeted Demonfolk girl walked past them with a wheelbarrow full of gravel.
Ronn, however, accidentally stepped in the Demonfolk's path. And, with a stumble, the Demonfolk girl tripped over his armored foot. She wobbled around, her tail jerking in an attempt to balance herself, before the Demonfolk girl fell to the ground.
Both Hero and Healer looked down at the fallen Demonfolk. The Hero kneeled down, gingerly grabbing both of the Demonfolk girl's arms and pulling her back onto her two feet.
"Are you alright, miss?" Ronn asked.
She glanced up with her apricot-orange irises. Then, she cocked her head.
"Armored Human?" she asked.
Ronn grabbed her by the shoulders and lifted her back onto her feet, before dusting the Demonfolk girl off.
"I apologize for that, young lady. I did not watch where I was going," the armored Hero said.
The apricot-haired Demonfolk girl adjusted her helmet, then looked up at Ronn. She flashed a smile.
"It's okay, armored human!" she exclaimed. "No hurting! I'm okay."
She turned back to her wheelbarrow, which had miraculously not fallen over when she stumbled. The girl immediately got back to work, and pushed the wheelbarrow towards whatever destination she had in mind.
"They're working rather hard here," Junil commented. "Compared to the factory workers in the Capital..."
The two continued off towards Grand Elm.
"They likely have a secondary incentive," Ronn replied. "A bonus, should they finish early. That is what I would assume."
"A bonus?" Junil asked. "What for? They're getting paid regardless."
"I have the sneaking suspicion that the rail company is behind schedule," Ronn said. "The rail opens tomorrow. However, they still have a stretch of rail to lay down today. Everyone here is working as quick as they could. I can only presume that the Demonfolk are willing to work with these crunch times only because the pay is handsome."
Junil nodded.
"Oh. Makes sense."
The two continued walking without speaking a word to each other. Ronn observed the Demonfolk working around closely, as though trying to gauge which one was most likely the Demon Lord's sibling. Junil, in the meanwhile, was idly tapping the end of her staff on the ground with every other footstep.
Eventually, they could see Grand Elm in the distance. The small town's clock tower was the first thing they could see, accompanied by the new development and buildings around the town's center.
"Everyone seems to be expanding," Junil said. "Even Grand Elm looks different now. Look, they're actually paving the roads too."
"Indeed," Ronn replied. "Economic growth spurred by the end of the war. If I must say so myself, Grand Elm would certainly be a prime location to invest in."
"Is it?" Junil asked.
"Indeed, I have studied the geography of this location last night," he replied. "The town is situated at the crossroads between a fertile valley, shallow creeks for irrigation, and a forest for timber. Not too far are quarries for mines. The only disadvantage of this location was a lack of accessibility, which will soon be solved by the rail engine."
Junil looked up at Ronn. "You've really done your research, huh."
"Indeed, I have. But it is not enough," the Hero replied. "We should begin gathering information, Junil. We should take a look around the town and begin asking questions."